Immigration to Malta
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Immigration to Malta has increased significantly over the past decade. In 2011, immigration contributed to 4.9% of the total population of the
Maltese islands Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
in 2011, i.e. 20,289 persons of non-Maltese citizenship, of whom 643 were born in Malta. In 2011, most of migrants in
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
were EU citizens (12,215 or 60.2 per cent), predominantly from the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
(6,652 persons). By the beginning of 2021, figures released by Malta's National Statistics Office showed that 20% of Maltese residents, or 103,718 people were foreigners. According to Malta's national employment agency, 70,402 of these non Maltese nationals were employed. Workers from EU countries made up 44% of the employed foreigners resident in Malta, while non-EU nationals represented 56% of Malta's foreign workforce. As of September 2021, foreign workers made up 27.9% of Malta's total workforce. The top employer for these foreign workers is the gambling and betting sector, which in Malta is made up of 58.6% of non-Maltese nationals. Demographically, non-Maltese residents in Malta are predominantly males (52.5%) and younger than average (40.6 years of average age). As of the end of 2020, the most popular location for foreigners to live in Malta was
St Paul's Bay St. Paul's Bay ( mt, San Pawl il-Baħar) is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, sixteen kilometres () northwest of the capital Valletta. Saint Paul's Bay is the largest town in the Northern Region and the seat of the Northern Regional Comm ...
, where non-Maltese nationals made up 52% of the population.
Sliema Sliema ( mt, Tas-Sliema ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely po ...
also has a substantial foreign population, with 43% of residents holding foreign passports as of the end of 2020.


History of immigration to Malta

The current Maltese people, characterised by the use of the
Maltese language Maltese ( mt, Malti, links=no, also ''L-Ilsien Malti'' or '), is a Semitic language derived from late medieval Sicilian Arabic with Romance superstrata spoken by the Maltese people. It is the national language of Malta and the only offic ...
and by
Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, is the descendant - through much mixing and hybridation via different waves of immigration - of the
Siculo-Arabic Siculo-Arabic ( ar, الْلهجَة الْعَرَبِيَة الْصَقلِيَة), also known as Sicilian Arabic, is the term used for varieties of Arabic that were spoken in the Emirate of Sicily (which included Malta) from the 9th century ...
colonists who repopulated the
Maltese islands Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
in the beginning of the second millennium after a two-century lapse of depopulation that followed the Arab
conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, ...
by the
Aghlabids The Aghlabids ( ar, الأغالبة) were an Arab dynasty of emirs from the Najdi tribe of Banu Tamim, who ruled Ifriqiya and parts of Southern Italy, Sicily, and possibly Sardinia, nominally on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph, for about a ...
in AD 870. A genetic study by Capelli et al. indicates that Malta was barely inhabited at the turn of the tenth century and was likely to have been repopulated by settlers from Sicily and Calabria who spoke
Siculo-Arabic Siculo-Arabic ( ar, الْلهجَة الْعَرَبِيَة الْصَقلِيَة), also known as Sicilian Arabic, is the term used for varieties of Arabic that were spoken in the Emirate of Sicily (which included Malta) from the 9th century ...
, the progenitor of modern Maltese. This is consistent with linguistic finding of no further sub-stratas beyond Arabic in the
Maltese language Maltese ( mt, Malti, links=no, also ''L-Ilsien Malti'' or '), is a Semitic language derived from late medieval Sicilian Arabic with Romance superstrata spoken by the Maltese people. It is the national language of Malta and the only offic ...
, a very rare occurrence which may only be explained by a drastic lapse. Previous inhabitants of the islands - Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines - did not leave any traces, as all nameplaces were lost and replaced. Modern historiography thus contest the traditional "Christian continuity thesis", positing instead a period of total depopulation of Malta at the end of the
late antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English h ...
. The Maltese islands remained largely Muslim-inhabited long after the end of Arab rule. The Arab administration was also kept in place and Muslims were allowed to practise their religion freely until the 13th century.Arab Heritage in Malta , The Baheyeldin Dynasty
/ref> As a result of this favourable environment, Muslims continued to demographically and economically dominate Malta for at least another 150 years after the Christian conquest. Between 1194 and 1530, the
Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily ( la, Regnum Siciliae; it, Regno di Sicilia; scn, Regnu di Sicilia) was a state that existed in the south of the Italian Peninsula and for a time the region of Ifriqiya from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 un ...
ruled the Maltese islands and a process of full latinisation started in Malta. The conquest of the Normans would lead to the gradual
Romanization Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, a ...
and Latinization of the Siculo-Arabic Muslim population of Malta, and the subsequent firm establishment of
Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
.Kenneth M. Setton, "The Byzantine Background to the Italian Renaissance" in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 100:1 (Feb. 24, 1956), pp. 1–76. Until 1224, however, there remained a strong Muslim segment of society. By the end of the 15th century all Maltese Muslims would be forced to convert to Christianity and had to find ways to disguise their previous identities by Latinizing or adopting new surnames. After the
Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...
, the population of the Maltese islands kept growing mainly through immigration from the north (Sicily and Italy), with the exile to Malta of the entire male population of the town of
Celano Celano is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of L'Aquila, central Italy, east of Rome by rail. Geography Celano rises on the top of a hill in the territory of Marsica, below the mountain range of Sirente. It faces the valley of Fucino, o ...
(Italy) in 1223 (though most of them returned home few years later), the stationing of a Norman (
Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...
n) and Sicilian garrison on Malta in 1240, the arrival of several thousands Aragonese soldiers in 1283 to 1425, and the settlement in Malta of
noble families Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characterist ...
from Sicily and the Crown of
Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to s ...
between 1372 and 1450. As a consequence of this, Capelli ''et al.'' found in 2005 that "the contemporary males of Malta most likely originated from Southern Italy, including Sicily and up to Calabria." Malta was then ruled by the Order of Saint John as a vassal state of the
Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily ( la, Regnum Siciliae; it, Regno di Sicilia; scn, Regnu di Sicilia) was a state that existed in the south of the Italian Peninsula and for a time the region of Ifriqiya from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 un ...
from 1530 to 1798. For the next 275 years, these famous "Knights of Malta" made the island their domain and made the
Italian language Italian (''italiano'' or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. Together with Sardinian, Italian is the least divergent language from Latin. Spoken by about 8 ...
official. The members of the Order came from the various noble families of Europe, thus providing Malta with a steady influx of affluent immigrants. Together with the Knights, in 1530, 400 (or up to several thousands according to other sources) Rhodian sailors, soldiers and slaves moved to Malta, possibly bringing along the few Byzantine words in Maltese language. Further immigration of several thousand Greek-rite Christians from Sicily in 1551 and again in 1566 may also have helped. The 19th and first half of the 20th century were for Malta marked by membership in the
British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
. Its excellent harbours became a prized asset for the British, especially after the opening of the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popula ...
in 1869. The island became a military and naval fortress, the headquarters of the British Mediterranean fleet, with some 22,000
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
servicemen posted in Malta from 1807 to 1979, as well as other British and Irish that settled in Malta over the decades. The islands also saw a steady influx of labourers from the other parts of the Empire, such as Indian textile traders from
Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
(see: Indians in Malta). In the same period, the learned class of Maltese society often identified with the Italians, particularly from the late 19th century ''
Risorgimento The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...
'' period up to the
second world war World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
(see: Italian irredentism in Malta). Up to 891
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
exiles also sought refuge in Malta in the late 19th century. At the same time, overpopulation and poverty pushed the Maltese to emigrate well into the 1960s and 70s, particularly to other British colonies such as
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
and
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
, but also to
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
,
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibr ...
,
Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
and the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. The late 20th century saw the independence of Malta. Since this period, retired British servicemen and their families constitute the greatest part of foreign residents in Malta. Since 1959, Malta's British governor started to pursue a plan of economic development based on promoting
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
and tax competition, particularly offering very low tax rates on pensions, royalties and dividends to attract retired British settlers (referred to as ‘sixpenny settlers’) from other former colonies of the Empire. Malta saw a large influx of Britons from
Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of So ...
after 1967. Closer links to Qaddafi's
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
since the 1970s saw a growth of Libyans in Malta, while around 800
Ugandan Indians There is a sizable community of people of Indian origin living in Uganda. In 2003, there were an estimated 15,000 people of Asian descent (majority of Indians and Pakistanis) living in Uganda, compared to approximately 80,000 before they were e ...
were resettled in Malta after they had been expelled by
Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...
in 1972. In the early 1990s Malta was a first stop for refugees from
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...
during the first
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
, later often resettled to
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...
. Landing of Sub-Saharan asylum seekers grew from 2001 onwards, particularly of citizens of
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
,
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
,
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopi ...
Membership of the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
in 2004 led to the growth of a community of Maltese in Belgium, while skilled workers from other EU (
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
) and non-EU countries (
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
) moved to Malta to contribute to the growing industries, from construction to hotel services, banking and ICT. Malta's EU accession also prompted a renewed public discussion about Maltese identity and its role of bridge between Europe and the Mediterranean. As noted by Schembri in 2004, the Maltese tended to stress their belonging to Europe as a way of distinguishing themselves from North Africans, and the public debate on immigration has reflected entrenched xenophobic stereotypes. The public attitudes of the Maltese towards both North Africans and Sub-Saharan Africans - including refugees and asylum seekers - have worsened over time, paralleled by the government's strict detention policies for irregular migrants. Among the main immigrant communities in Malta: * The Indian community in Malta (''l-Indjani'') was composed in 2007 of around 300 persons (45 families) stemming from the town of
Hyderabad, Sindh Hyderabad ( Sindhi and ur, ; ) is a city and the capital of Hyderabad Division in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the second-largest city in Sindh, and the eighth largest in Pakistan. Founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of the ...
(in today's
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
). They are Maltese citizens and reside in Malta since British times, originally as textile traders. * The Arab community counted around 3,000 persons in 2007, mostly originally from
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
and today Maltese citizens. The presence of the Libyans in Malta, with the only mosque of the island ( Mariam Al-Batool Mosque in
Paola, Malta Paola ( mt, Raħal Ġdid, it, Casal Nuovo, both meaning "New Town") is a town in the South Eastern Region of Malta, with 8,706 inhabitants as of 2019. The town is a commercial centre in the Southern Harbour area of Malta, about 5 km from th ...
), amounts to the good relations between the Qaddafi and Mintoff governments in the 1970s and 1980s. * The Albanians in Malta are a small community, originally arriving as refugees in 1999, when UNHCR resettled 110 persons from
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
to Malta. * Nigerians in Malta are one of the most visible communities of recent immigration, despite their relatively low number. Several of them are football players in the island's over 50 football clubs. (see
Ndubisi Chukunyere Ndubisi Chukunyere (born 23 December 1979 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a former Nigerian footballer who last played for Maltese Premier League side Hibernians, in the capacity of striker. Playing career Chukunyere began his career as a member of Sta ...
and his daughter
Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...
)


Legislation

Immigration to Malta is mainly regulated by the Immigration Act and by the Asylum Act. The Immigration Act, passed in 1970, was reformed in the run-up to Malta's EU accession, in 2000 and 2002, in order to align it with the EU ''acquis''. Maltese law maintains a rigid protectionist approach to labour migration. A Work Permit Scheme permits immigrants to reside and work in the country for a certain period of time, if their skills are absent locally or in short supply. Permits are issued by the Department for Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs. Applications are examined by a cross-governmental board in a process taking three to four months. Permits are usually yearly and can be renovated; applications for renewal should be submitted five months in advance. Foreign investors holding substantial shares in the manufacturing or financial services can apply for indefinite-time permits of stay. Work permits holders in Malta were 2,928 in 2003, of which 813 women. Most of them were issued to British citizens (387), then to "Yugoslavs"(306), Chinese (232), Indians (166), Bulgarians (146), Italians (143), Libyans (141).Katia Amore, ''Malta'', in Anna Triandafyllidou
Immigration: A Sourcebook
2007
A Refugee Act was passed in Malta only in 2001, replacing the Catholic Church-based ''Emigrant Commission'', which had till then partnered with UNHCR. The Refugee Act implement Malta's obligations under the
1951 Refugee Convention The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention or the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951, is a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines who a refugee is, and sets out the rights of individuals ...
and its 1967 Protocol, establishing a Refugee Commission (REFCOM). In its first year of implementation, the Commission had to deal with 1,680 asylum seekers who reached Malta by boat in 2002. Persons who are recognised asylum or humanitarian protection are issued a residence permit and, upon request, a work permit.


Non-Maltese residents in Malta

At the 2005 Census the non-Maltese population numbered 12,112 (3.0% of the total population). Of these, people with British (4,713), Italian (585), German (518) and Libyan (493) citizenship were most common. Of the total population of 475,701 persons in 2019, 98,918, or 21.0%, are non-Maltese nationals. Most of the foreign community in Malta, predominantly active or retired British nationals and their dependents, is centred on
Sliema Sliema ( mt, Tas-Sliema ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely po ...
and surrounding modern suburbs. Other smaller foreign groups include Italians, French, and Lebanese, many of whom have assimilated into the Maltese nation over the decades. At the 2011 Census the non-Maltese population numbered 20,289. The citizenship of resident foreign nationals is shown below: Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:455 height:303 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:7000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:200 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:01 text:UK bar:02 text:SOM bar:03 text:ITA bar:04 text:BUL bar:05 text:GER bar:06 text:RUS bar:07 text:ERI bar:08 text:SER bar:09 text:SWE bar:10 text:LIB PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:left bar:01 from: 0 till:6615 bar:02 from: 0 till:1041 bar:03 from: 0 till:950 bar:04 from: 0 till:850 bar:05 from: 0 till:745 bar:06 from: 0 till:603 bar:07 from: 0 till:548 bar:08 from: 0 till:541 bar:09 from: 0 till:499 bar:10 from: 0 till:403 PlotData= bar:01 at:6615 fontsize:XS text: 6615 shift:(-8,5) bar:02 at:1041 fontsize:XS text: 1041 shift:(-8,5) bar:03 at:950 fontsize:XS text: 950 shift:(-8,5) bar:04 at:850 fontsize:XS text: 850 shift:(-8,5) bar:05 at:745 fontsize:XS text: 745 shift:(-8,5) bar:06 at:603 fontsize:XS text: 603 shift:(-8,5) bar:07 at:548 fontsize:XS text: 548 shift:(-8,5) bar:08 at:541 fontsize:XS text: 541 shift:(-8,5) bar:09 at:499 fontsize:XS text: 499 shift:(-8,5) bar:10 at:403 fontsize:XS text: 403 shift:(-8,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Census data 2011 The most common foreign places of birth for all residents at the time of the 2011 Census are shown below: https://nso.gov.mt/en/publicatons/Publications_by_Unit/Documents/01_Methodology_and_Research/Census2011_FinalReport.pdf


Visa policy

As an EU member state and a party to the
Schengen Agreement The Schengen Agreement ( , ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the t ...
, Malta applies the EU's visa policy. This means that to enter the country: *Nationals of the EU and the
European Economic Area (EEA) The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade As ...
(
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
,
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
and
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarch ...
) and their special territories and of Switzerland require only a passport or a national identity card, and can reside and work in Malta without any further permission or documents. For several years after
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
joined the EU in 2013, Croatian nationals continued to need work permits to legally work in Malta; this requirement was finally abolished in February 2018. *Nationals of a number of non-EU and non-EEA countries (including
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
,
Balkan countries The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the whol ...
, Australia,
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and Japan) require only a passport and do not need a
visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...
to reside in Malta for less than 90 days. *Nationals of other countries need a passport and a
visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...
to enter the country, visas being valid for one month.


Asylum seekers

Historically Malta gave refuge (and assisted in their resettlement) to eight hundred or so East African Asians who had been expelled from
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
by
Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...
and to just under a thousand Iraqis fleeing
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...
's regime. In 1990–1991, Malta hosted a number of
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
i asylum-seekers, that were later resettled elsewhere, especially in North America. As from 2001, Malta has received a high number of landings of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, many of whom were entitled to international protection. 2006 and 2007 saw about 1800 arriving each year. Landings included 1173 people in 2009, 28 in 2010, 1577 in 2011, 2023 in 2012, and 741 up to mid July 2013. Most of such persons were then resettled elsewhere in Europe or North America. Around 45% of immigrants landed in Malta have been granted refugee (5%) or protected humanitarian status (40%). A
White Paper A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white pape ...
suggesting the grant of Maltese citizenship to refugees resident in Malta for over ten years was issued in 2005. Between 2008 and 2012 Malta received, on average, the highest number of asylum seekers compared to its national population: 21.7 applicants per 1,000 inhabitants. In 2011, most of these asylum applications were submitted by nationals of
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
,
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
,
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopi ...
and Syria. In 2012, more than half of the requests were by
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
n nationals alone. During this period, Malta was criticized for its reception of asylum seekers, particularly those who were accommodated in open and closed reception centres (often referred to as "detention centers"). As a member of the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
and of the
Schengen agreement The Schengen Agreement ( , ) is a treaty which led to the creation of Europe's Schengen Area, in which internal border checks have largely been abolished. It was signed on 14 June 1985, near the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, by five of the t ...
, Malta is bound by the
Dublin Regulation The Dublin Regulation (Regulation No. 604/2013; sometimes the Dublin III Regulation; previously the Dublin II Regulation and Dublin Convention) is a European Union (EU) law that determines which EU Member State is responsible for the examina ...
to process all claims for asylum by those asylum seekers that enter EU territory for the first time in Malta.


Irregular migration

Since the late 20th century, Malta has become a transit country for migration routes from Africa towards Europe. The estimated net inflow (using data for 2002 to 2004) was of 1,913 persons yearly. Over the last 10 years, Malta accepted back a yearly average of 425 returning emigrants. During 2006, 1,800 irregular migrants reached Malta making the crossing from the North African coast. Most of them intended to reach mainland Europe and happened to come to Malta due to their sub-standard vessels breaking down or being caught by Maltese and other EU officials. In the first half of 2006, 967 irregular immigrants arrived in Maltaalmost double the 473 who arrived in the same period in 2005. Many immigrants have perished in the journey across the Mediterranean, with one notable incident being the May 2007 Malta migrant boat disaster. Since that time, there have been several additional boat sinkings, and only as recently as April 2015, some 700 immigrants perished en route to Italy when their boat capsized. During 2014 alone, approximately 3,500 migrants drowned in their attempt to reach Europe. Very few migrants arrived in Malta in 2015, despite the fact that the rest of Europe was experiencing an acute migrant crisis during that period. Most migrants who were rescued between Libya and Malta were taken to Italy, and some refused to be brought to Malta. Malta has in the past considered adopting a push-back policy towards approaching migrants, pushing their boats back to Libya. Such a policy, contrary to
international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
and the principle of
non-refoulement Non-refoulement () is a fundamental principle of international law that forbids a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely danger of persecution based on "race, religion, nationality, membe ...
, has been condemned by the
European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that ...
in a case against Italy, as it does not allow prospective asylum seekers to file their claims for international protection. Irregular migrants (formal Maltese: ''immigranti irregolari'', informal: ''klandestini'') who land in Malta are subject to a compulsory detention policy, being held in several camps organised by the
Armed Forces of Malta The Armed Forces of Malta ( mt, Forzi Armati ta' Malta) is the name given to the combined armed services of Malta. The AFM is a brigade sized organisation consisting of a headquarters and three separate battalions, with minimal air and naval ...
(AFM), including those near
Ħal Far Ħal Far is one of the main industrial estates in Malta. It is at the southern extreme of Malta, between the localities of Birżebbuġa, Safi and Żurrieq. In the past, Ħal Far housed the RAF Hal Far airfield, which was known as HMS Falcon when ...
and Ħal Safi. The compulsory detention policy has been denounced by several NGOs, and in July 2010, the
European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that ...
found that Malta's detention of migrants was arbitrary, lacking in adequate procedures to challenge detention, and in breach of its obligations under the
European Convention on Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by ...
. Detention costs for the first half of 2006 cost €746,385. In 2005, Malta sought EU aid in relation to reception of irregular immigrants, repatriation of those denied refugee status, resettlement of refugees into EU countries and maritime security. In December 2005, the European Council adopted ''The Global Approach to Migration: Priority Actions focusing on Africa and the Mediterranean''; but the deployment of said actions has been limited to the western Mediterranean, thus putting further pressure on the Central Mediterranean route for irregular immigration of which Malta forms a part. On September 7, 2020, Amnesty International alleged that the Government of
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
used "illegal tactics” against immigrants for dealing with the arrival of refugees from the sea. Under these escalation of tactics Maltese authorities may have involved criminal acts being committed, resulting in avoidable deaths, prolonged arbitrary detention and illegal returns to war-torn
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
. The criticism came after an incident in July 2020 where Maltese authorities took 33 hours to mount a rescue mission after receiving a distress call from a dinghy carrying 95 migrants from
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopi ...
.


Investment-based citizenship policy

In January 2014 Malta started granting citizenship for a €650,000 contribution plus investments, contingent on residence and criminal background requirements, under the Individual Investor Programme. Henley & Partners was originally appointed as sole agent for managing the policy, but the Muscat government later opened the scheme to Maltese firms too. The procedure is managed formally by the governmental agency Identity Malta.Times of Malta
/ref> The number and background of persons granted Maltese citizenship based on investment is unknown, as the Maltese government does not publish such data. Malta's Data Protection Commissioner confirmed that the publication of the number of passport buyers and their country of origin “may prejudice relations with a number of the countries of origin” and that revealing the agencies that handled their application “could reasonably be expected to prejudice commercial interests and, ultimately, the competitiveness of approved agents as it would reveal commercially-sensitive information”. The list of persons who were naturalised Maltese in the year 2015 includes over 900 names (listed by first name) without indication of previous/second citizenships and of reasons for naturalisation. This was criticised as not transparent enough.Politico Europe
/ref> Many of the names are typical Arab, Russian, and Chinese names. Most "investors" are understood to be interested in acquiring Maltese citizenship only as a tool to exploit EU citizenship rights and reside elsewhere in the Union, including the UK. The
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
had objected to the programme as a sell-out of
EU citizenship European Union citizenship is afforded to all citizens of member states of the European Union (EU). It was formally created with the adoption of the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, at the same time as the creation of the EU. EU citizenship is additio ...
. The income from Malta's passport sale amounted to €163.5 million in 2016. Of this, 70% is deposited in the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF), which was set up in July 2016 for general use by the government of Malta.Times of Malta, 6 November 2017
/ref>


Foreigners in Malta per locality, 2005 and 2011 censuses

Immigration to Malta grew significantly from 2005 to 2011, though remaining marginal overall (from 3% to 5% of the total population). The impact of immigration was also geographically diversified. Urban centres in the Northern Harbour where immigrant presence was already relevant saw a growth (2,095 residents in
Sliema Sliema ( mt, Tas-Sliema ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely po ...
, from 10% to 15%; Gzira from 6 to 10%) while other areas quickly turned into immigrant residence areas (1,172 residents in St Julian's, from 1% to 14.5%). The Southern Harbour area was less affected, though immigrant population also grew, particularly in Paola (from 1% to 4.8%), Vittoriosa (from 1.5% to 3.3%), Valletta (from 1.8% to 3.1%), Marsa (from 1.5% to 3%), and Floriana (from 1.8% to 3%). In the South,
Birżebbuġa Birżebbuġa (; sometimes shortened to B'Buġa) is a seaside town in the Southern Region of Malta, close to Marsaxlokk. It is approximately from the capital Valletta, and it has a population of 9,736 as of March 2014. The town is popular amon ...
saw non-Maltese population swell from 3% to 19% (1,986 residents). In the north, St Paul's Bay remains the area with the highest absolute number of non-Maltese resident (3,023, or 18.5%)


Notable Maltese people of foreign descent

;Armenian-Maltese * Mikhail Basmadjian (actor) * Andy Eminyan (retired footballer) ; Australian-Maltese *
Kevin Moore Kevin Moore (born May 26, 1967) is an American keyboardist, composer, and founder of the Chroma Key music project. He is also a former member of the American progressive metal/ rock band Dream Theater, co-founder of the progressive rock supe ...
*
Peter Pullicino Peter William Pullicino (born 17 June 1976) is a former professional association football, footballer who last played for Marsaxlokk F.C., Marsaxlokk. Born in Australia, he represented the Malta national football team, Malta national team. Hon ...
*
Paul Fenech Paul Fenech (born 21 November 1972) is an Australian filmmaker, film and television actor, director, producer and writer. He is best known for writing, directing, producing and starring in the television series ''Pizza'', ''Swift and Shift Cou ...
*
Mario Fenech Mario Fenech (nicknamed "The Maltese Falcon", “Falcon”, or "Muzza"; born 11 November 1961) is a Maltese Australian rugby league personality. He is a former player of the game who had a lengthy career in the New South Wales/Australian Rugby ...
; British-Maltese * Glenn Bedingfield *
Rohan Delacombe Major General Sir Rohan Delacombe, (25 October 1906 – 10 November 1991) was a senior British Army officer. He was the last British Governor of Victoria, Australia from 1963 to 1974. Early life Delacombe was born in St. Julian's, Malta, on 25 ...
* Sam Magri * Tiffany Pisani ; Canadian-Maltese * Ivan Woods ; Danish-Maltese * Bjorn Kristensen ; French-Maltese * Carlo Gimach ; German-Maltese * V. G. Braun-Dusemond ; Greek-Maltese * Ioannis Papafis ; Irish-Maltese * Sean Sullivan ; Italian-Maltese * Giuseppe Calì *
Arnold Cassola Arnold Cassola is a Maltese and Italian independent politician, professor, author and editor of various books and academic papers. Cassola is a professor in Comparative Literature at the University of Malta. He has held elective office and pol ...
*
Claudia Faniello Claudia Faniello (born 25 February 1988) is a Maltese singer. She represented Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Breathlessly" She came 3rd with the song Gmielek in the maltese festival MuzikaMuzika 2022 Biography Earl ...
*
Fabrizio Faniello Fabrizio Faniello (born 27 April 1981) is a Maltese pop singer. He represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2001 and 2006. Family Fabrizio Faniello is the eldest of three children born to Vincenzo and Anna Faniello. He has two ...
* Ugo Pasquale Mifsud * Maria Adeodata Pisani *
Peter Pullicino Peter William Pullicino (born 17 June 1976) is a former professional association football, footballer who last played for Marsaxlokk F.C., Marsaxlokk. Born in Australia, he represented the Malta national football team, Malta national team. Hon ...
* Joseph Rizzo * Davide Tucci ;Jewish-Maltese *
Aaron Farrugia Aaron Farrugia (born 1 January 1980) is a Maltese Partit Laburista (Labour Party) politician, Member of Parliament and the current Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects. He previously served as Minister for the Environmen ...
; Moroccan-Maltese * Rachid Chouhal ; Nigerian-Maltese *
Destiny Chukunyere Destiny Chukunyere M.Q.R. (born 29 August 2002) is a Maltese singer. She won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, where she represented Malta with the song "Not My Soul". In 2017, she participated in the eleventh series of ''Britain's Go ...
*
Ndubisi Chukunyere Ndubisi Chukunyere (born 23 December 1979 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a former Nigerian footballer who last played for Maltese Premier League side Hibernians, in the capacity of striker. Playing career Chukunyere began his career as a member of Sta ...
*
Alfred Effiong Alfred Effiong (born 29 November 1984) is a professional footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Maltese club Marsaxlokk F.C., Marsaxlokk. Born in Nigeria, he represents the Malta national football team, Malta natio ...
* Chris Okoh ; Palestinian-Maltese * Carlo Gimach ; Serbian-Maltese * Daniel Bogdanović ; Slovenian-Maltese * Daniel Bogdanović ; Spanish-Maltese * Baldassare Cagliares ; Swedish-Maltese *
Arvid Pardo Arvid Pardo (February 12, 1914 – June 19, 1999) was a Maltese and Swedish diplomat of Jewish origin, scholar and university professor. He is known as the Father of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea". Pardo was born in Ro ...


Notable foreign citizens living and working in Malta

;Albanians in Malta * Gers Delia * Entonjo Elezaj * Kastriot Peqini ; Argentinians in Malta * Federico Falcone ; Brasilians in Malta * Fernando Lopes Alcântara *
Matheus Bissi Matheus Bissi da Silva (born 19 March 1991), known as Matheus Bissi, is a Brazilian Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder, defensive midfielder or Defender (association football), centre back for FC Atyrau. He also holds Port ...
* Ronaille Calheira * Douglas Cobo * Gilmar da Silva * Edison Luiz dos Santos * Jorge Elias dos Santos * Jorge Pereira da Silva * Allan Kardeck * Diogo Pinheiro * Luís Rómulo de Castro * Rômulo *
David da Silva David Aparecido da Silva (born 12 November 1989), commonly known as David da Silva, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Liga 1 club Persib Bandung. Career Shelbourne On 11 August 2011, Da Silva signed a contract ...
* Rodolfo Soares * Márcio Teruel * William da Silva Barbosa ; British in Malta *
Tanya Blake Tanya-Gee Blake (born 16 January 1971 in London, England, United Kingdom) is a retired middle-distance runner, who specialized in the 800 metres. Born in England, she represented Malta internationally. Holding a dual citizenship to compete inte ...
*
Anthony Burgess John Anthony Burgess Wilson, (; 25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993), who published under the name Anthony Burgess, was an English writer and composer. Although Burgess was primarily a comic writer, his dystopian satire ''A Clockwork ...
* Chris de Burgh *
Tony Dyson Anthony John Dyson (13 April 1947 – 4 March 2016) was a British SPFX designer, best-known for working on the R2-D2 droid props used in the Empire Strikes Back and subsequent films in the ''Star Wars'' film series. Life Born in Dewsbury, West ...
*
Scott Fenwick Scott James Fenwick (born 9 April 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Consett. He played in the Football League for Hartlepool United and for League of Ireland club Cork City. Club career Early career ...
*
Francis Jeffers Francis Jeffers (born 25 January 1981) is an English football coach and former player, who is a first-team coach at Oldham Athletic. Jeffers started his career at his boyhood club Everton, making his debut in 1997 as a 16 year old. After scori ...
*
Harry Luke Sir Harry Charles Luke (born Harry Charles Lukach; 4 December 1884 – 11 May 1969) was an official in the British Colonial Office. He served in Barbados, Cyprus, Transcaucasia, Sierra Leone, Mandatory Palestine, Palestine, Malta#British Empir ...
*
Mark Miller (footballer) Mark John Miller (born 22 September 1962) is an English manager, currently in charge of Żabbar St. Patrick, and former footballer. During his career he played as a midfielder and played in Malta and Finland towards the end of his career. Ca ...
* Montell Moore * Brian Mundee *
Viv Nicholson Vivian "Viv" Nicholson (nee Asprey; 3 April 1936 – 11 April 2015) was a British woman who became famous when she told the media that she would "spend, spend, spend" after her husband Keith won £152,319 () on the football pools in 1961. Nicho ...
*
Malcolm Robertson (footballer) Malcolm Robertson (7 July 1951 – 18 August 2010) was a Scottish footballer who played as a left winger. He made his mark playing for Penicuik Athletic when he appeared in the 1970 Scottish Junior Cup Final. He then moved to Raith Rovers, sc ...
*
Brian Talbot Brian Ernest Talbot (born 21 July 1953) is an English former football player and manager. He was capped six times for the England national team. Talbot played in midfield for Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Watford, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albio ...
*
Carl Tremarco Carl Philip Tremarco (born 11 October 1985) is a retired English professional footballer who played as a left-back. Career Tremarco began his career as a trainee at Tranmere Rovers in August 2003 and made his first team debut in December 2003 a ...
; Cameroonians in Malta * Abade Narcisse Fish * Christian Pouga ; Colombians in Malta * Jhon Obregón ; Congolese (D.R.C.) in Malta * Yannick Bolasie * N'Dayi Kalenga ; Czechoslovaks in Malta * Rudolf Krčil ; Dutch in Malta *
Ton Caanen Ton Caanen (born March 18, 1966 in Geleen, Netherlands) is a Dutch football manager. Managerial career Aside from a few years in the amateur Dutch leagues, Caanen never played professional football. He got his start as a manager in his hometow ...
* Sylvano Comvalius *
Jordi Cruyff Johan Jordi Cruijff (anglicised to Cruyff; born 9 February 1974) is a football coach and former player. He is the son of former player and manager Johan Cruyff. As a footballer, Cruyff played from 1992 through to 2010, including periods with ...
* Djamel Leeflang ; Germans in Malta *
Sigfried Held Sigfried "Siggi" Held (born 7 August 1942) is a German former football player and coach. He played as an attacking midfielder or forward. Born in Freudenthal, Sudetenland (now Czech Republic), Held's first football club was Kickers Offenbach. In ...
; Irish in Malta *
Denis O'Brien Denis O'Brien (born 19 April 1958) is an Irish billionaire businessman, and the founder and owner of Digicel. He was listed among the World's Top 200 Billionaires in 2015 and was Ireland's richest native-born citizen for a period of several ye ...
; Italians in Malta * Liana Burgess * Nicola Cosentini * Mario Fontanella * Daniele Messina *
Fabrizio Miccoli Fabrizio Miccoli (; born on 27 June 1979) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He scored 103 goals in 259 matches in Serie A across nine seasons, representing Perugia, Juventus, Fiorentina and Palermo, also spen ...
* Gianmarco Piccioni ; Ivorians in Malta * Lassana Cisse ; Japanese in Malta *
Go Nagaoka is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Career Born in Osaka, Nagaoka has played for Hokuyo Senior High School, Londrina, Avaí, Carpenedolo, Maisons Alfort, North York Astros, Przebój Wolbrom, SK Blāzma, Tarxien ...
; Lithuanians in Malta * Džiugas Bartkus * Tomas Radzinevičius ; Nigerians in Malta * Abubakar Bello-Osagie * Olumuyiwa Aganun * Murphy Akanji * Benedict Akwuegbu * Orosco Anonam * Minabo Asechemie *
Ibrahim Babatunde Olalekan Ibrahim Babatunde (born 29 December 1984) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Swiss 4. Liga club FC Ravecchia. Career A striker, Babatunde began his career in Italy where he entered the youth system at ...
*
Ndubisi Chukunyere Ndubisi Chukunyere (born 23 December 1979 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a former Nigerian footballer who last played for Maltese Premier League side Hibernians, in the capacity of striker. Playing career Chukunyere began his career as a member of Sta ...
* Haruna Doda *
Alfred Effiong Alfred Effiong (born 29 November 1984) is a professional footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Maltese club Marsaxlokk F.C., Marsaxlokk. Born in Nigeria, he represents the Malta national football team, Malta natio ...
*
Augustine Eguavoen Augustine Owen Eguavoen (born 19 August 1965) is a Nigerian football manager and former player who thrice served as manager of the Nigeria national team. Playing career Club During his varied career Eguavoen began his career with ACB Lagos in ...
*
Udo Fortune Udo Fortune (born 2 February 1988) is a Nigerian professional association football, footballer who plays for Vietnamese club Đồng Tháp F.C., Đồng Tháp, as a Forward (association football), striker. Career Born in Warri, Fortune has played ...
* Henry Isaac * Godwin Mensha * Chucks Nwoko *
Udo Nwoko Udochukwu Nwoko (born 15 October 1984) is a retired professional footballer who last played for Cypriot Third Division side MEAP Nisou as a midfielder. Born in Nigeria, he represented the Malta national team. Playing career Born in Abia, Nig ...
*
Jojo Ogunnupe Joseph jojo Ogunnupe (born February 23, 1992 in Abuja) is a Nigerian football player, currently playing for Pembroke Athleta F.C. in the Maltese Challenge League. Career Ogunnupe began his career with Abuja-based New Academy Football and signed ...
* Stanley Ohawuchi * Gabriel Okechukwu * Digger Okonkwo * Onome Sodje * Akanni-Sunday Wasiu * Godwin Zaki ; Poles in Malta *
Leszek Czarnecki Leszek Janusz Czarnecki (born 9 May 1962 in Wrocław) is a Polish billionaire. His main business activity is banking. He is an engineer by education and a doctor of economics. Graduate of Harvard Business School (AMP). Since 2006 he lives in Ma ...
; Romanians in Malta * Lucian Dronca ; Senegalese in Malta * Demba Touré ; Serbians in Malta * Srđan Dimitrov * Dejan Đorđević * Anđelko Đuričić * Saša Jovanović * Predrag Jović *
Milorad Kosanović Milorad Kosanović ( sr-Cyrl, Милорад Косановић, ; born 4 January 1951) is a Serbian former football player and manager. During his playing career, Kosanović represented Proleter Zrenjanin, Vojvodina, Kikinda and Novi Sad, com ...
* Miloš Lepović * Zoran Levnaić * Jovica Milijić * Nemanja Milovanović * Neško Milovanović * Boris Pašanski * Stevan Račić * Marko Rajić * Milanko Rašković * Nemanja Stošković * Milan Vignjević ; Slovaks in Malta *
Dušan Fitzel Dušan Fitzel (born 15 April 1963) is a Czech football coach and a former player. He is an assistant coach with FC Viktoria Plzeň. He managed the Malta national football team from 2006–2009, but in July 2009 health problems made it necessary ...
; Trinidadians in Malta *
Tony Warner Anthony Randolph Warner (born 11 May 1974) is a football coach and former professional footballer who is the goalkeeping coach at Reading. Warner notably played in the Premier League for Fulham, having also being contracted to Liverpool and Hul ...
; Ukrainians in Malta * Semen Datsenko * Oleksandr Maksymov


See also

* Demographics of Malta *
Emigration from Malta Emigration from Malta was an important demographic phenomenon throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, leading to the creation of large Maltese communities in English-speaking countries abroad. History Nineteenth century Mass emi ...
*
List of countries by immigrant population These are lists of countries by foreign-born population ( immigrants) and lists of countries by number native-born persons living in a foreign country (emigrants). According to the United Nations, in 2019, the United States, Germany, and Saudi Ar ...
*
List of sovereign states and dependent territories by fertility rate A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...


References


External links


Newsbook
{{Immigration to Europe Foreign relations of Malta